Of the 10 Big Ten schools that have responded to the Gazette's Freedom of Information Act request, only Michigan and Purdue spent less money. It hasn't seemed to hurt the Wolverines, who signed a second consecutive top 10 recruiting class Wednesday.

The fall likely is a function of earning so many commitments early in the cycle. Twelve of the Wolverines' 27 signees had committed to the program by the end of last February.

Michigan also has placed a premium on Midwest recruiting, which figures to help keep costs down. Seventeen of the 27 commits half from Michigan or Ohio, and 22 of the 27 are from the Midwest.

The Wolverines' overall spending ranked fourth in the Big Ten, trailing Nebraska ($752,681), Illinois ($614,529) and Minnesota ($543,994) -- and yet, they beat each of those teams in the rankings.